Smart mobs

The discussion on smart mobs on Tuesday was quite interesting to me.  Technology has a great impact on our society these days.  There is so much information available to us through the access of the Internet.  It is amazing to me that all that information is accessible through cell phones now.  We can have to world at our fingertips 24/7.  Through a variety of outlets like society networks, blogs, chats, instant messaging, etc,  large groups of people can make an impact.  This is a powerful tool.

However, I am having a hard time believing that smart mobs are self-formed.  I gathered in class that several people were of the same mind set.  An idea has to have an origin.  I am not convinced that a smart mob is self-formed.  Once the "mob" gets underway, then it can be self-sustaining, but the idea, I feel, had to have an origin.

By the way, I am interested to get some feedback regarding thoughts on Facebook.  What value do you put on Facebook?  Is it something that you can't live without or just something to do for fun? 

On to the next project

I have a sense of relief now that the instruction assignment is complete.  Not that it was so painfully hard to do, but it is nice to get to the other side of a project.

Without any wasted time we have our next assignment.  A group project.  I don't have any major group project horror stories. However, I have had a couple of lab partners over the years that were were interesting to work with.  One that wanted to write all of the lab reports and then acted like he wanted to keep them a secret from me.  That was frustrating.  Another focused on the fact that the report we were working on didn't have much weight on the final grade so didn't put his full efforts into the report.  That didn't sit well with me because it did contribute to the final grade and I wanted to do the best that I could.

For this project, I feel comfortable with my group.  I believe there is still some trust that needs to be gained from all of us.  I hope we all agree on the final goal and are motivated to achieve it.

I wish all the other groups good success on their projects.

Opps...forgot to blog!

I realized in class this morning when Dr. Barnett was talking about blogging, I forgot to post a blog.  I guess better late then never. 

I have  enjoyed writing the instructions.  I didn't realize really how much goes into the process.  It is one of those things that is taken for granted.  You buy something, open the box, glance through the instructions, put it together and go.   

Through the process of writing my instructions, I feel as though the task I am writing about has grown into more than I first imagined.  However, I am pleased with the outcome so far.  Just a little tweaking before turning in the final copy.

I would be interested in hearing what everyone's thoughts are on the outcome of their instructions.

Here are my Instructions

"What should my topic be for the writing instructions assignment?"  This is the question that I kept asking myself all weekend long.  "What task can be completed in 10 - 25 minutes?"  I wanted to do something fun, yet at the same time rewarding.  I thought about some of the things that I enjoy when I have some "free" time, and two things came to mind, woodworking and landscaping.

I really enjoy creating things out of wood like cabinets, furniture, and displays, to name a few.  However, it takes time and can be quite costly.  My other option was landscaping.  I enjoy getting out in nature and taking in all that is around me.  It is relaxing for me.  Nothing is more rewarding at the end of a day of working in the yard than to step back and take in all that you have done.

My desire would be that those that follow my instructions will get the same satisfaction upon completing the task that I do.

Rhetoric and Parenting

As a parent, I encounter rhetoric in various forms.  First being those who are "experts" about rearing children, some who are not even parents and many who are closely related, like family and friends.  These persuasions and thoughts must be weeded through to discern what is valuable and applicable to my parenting circumstances.  Take meal-time, for example, there are those that believe that you should "force-feed" your child certain food groups or varieties making meal-time such "fun" and enjoyment for all involved.  While others believe that you serve your child the same food at each consecutive meal until it no longer holds any resemblance to the original food that was served, because they had no desire to eat it at the original served time.  Yet others believe that you serve the child whatever their desires are because atleast "something" is better than nothing, even if the "something" is a cocktail of high fructose corn syrup and artificial food colorings. 

However, I believe that each child must be observed and handled according to their own specific learning style.  For my children, we observed that they learned best through example.  Therefore, we not only serve them the foods that we believe are healthy and nourishing for them, but we as the parents also eat the same foods.   In other words, we live by example.  We talk regularly about "good food" and healthy bodies.

We also experience rhetoric in many other parenting situations, most importantly regarding morals and values.  In this area, we not only receive persuasions and opinions from the same groups listed above, but also receive it from external sources like media, government and entertainment industries.  It is my responsibility to filter those opinions very carefully.  Unlike the original sources, the later do not have any personal involvement with my children directly, so there's no understanding about my family dynamics or how each child responds or is influenced. 

I know that this subject may be deep and something many of you may not be able to relate to at this present time, but may certainly experience it at some time in the near future.  This is just thoughts on my personal experiences...